"Darby and Basil Bouquet," Moira McLaughlin, Dog Bar 9.16.09
I picked up my farm share from Four Frog Farm today. I was pleased with the tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peppers, melon, and garlic in the box, but Maggie told me to wait, she had to go into the cooler and get the basil. She brought out this bouquet and told me to keep it in water. I did, and it is so beautiful I had to share.
Weenie
Love it! Get yours at The Little Friends Print of Printmaking for just $25. great Christmas gift for the Weenie dog lover in your life.
Read more about the Little Friends at Grain Edit.
Have a great long weekend. I am hosting TFADBBBTPB tomorrow. Will share pictures next week. (That’s The First Annual Dog Bar Bocce Ball Tournament and Plum Bake for those of you not in the know).
Over at the New York Times, John Tierney looks at new research that indicates animals might actually feel regret. Then, at his TierneyLab Blog he asks for help compiling the list of Top 10 Pet Regrets. Submit your stories of animal regret and you could win The Parrot’s Lament; And Other True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity, or the new book by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce, Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals.
I love that the Times is getting all interactive.
BTW, as a Dachshund, Darby has no regrets. But I submitted this story about the day he made me regret my own behavior. It was stunning…
Several years ago, I threw a ladies-only wedding shower for my sister, Kathleen. Darby was very excited and greeted everyone with kisses – really turning on the charm. He didn’t know that I had arranged for Mark, my future brother-in-law, to take him out with him for the duration of the party. I felt it would be easier for me not having to worry about Darby licking food off people’s plates. When Mark picked up Darby and put him in the Sherpa carrier, Darby flashed me a look of horror and indignation.
Mark took him on various errands for several hours. When he came back to pick up Kathleen, most of the guests were still there. He said Darby had seemed happy and having a good time. When he let Darby out of the carrier, I called him to come over and say “hi” with a kiss as he ALWAYS does when we are reunited. But he wouldn’t even look at me. He bounded over to my sister and smothered her with kisses. I called him again. Nothing. My mother called him and he jumped up on her lap and kissed her with unbridled enthusiasm. I called him again and he refused to even acknowledge me.
Now, we could all see what he was up to. He was punishing me in a very public way. We all started laughing, and every single guest called out to him. He scampered from woman to woman kissing each one, and no matter how much I called to him, he pretended like I wasn’t even in the room. It was shocking and hilarious. As my mother said, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.”
Eventually after all the guests had left and I settled down on the couch to watch TV, he came to sit with me, confident I had learned my lesson.
Click here to submit your pet regret stories to the Times. Let me know if you win. And remember, never EVER cross a Dachshund.
This vintage German postcard combines two of my loves: Dachshunds and stripes. It also captures my mood this morning as I hit the ground running. I am getting ready to head to Boston for my 20th college reunion at Boston College. And we are in the final stretch of the Dog Art Today-Mutt Lynch Winery Wine Label Contest. The deadline to submit your art is June 12. Click here for contest the details.
Hat tip to Marilyn of the fabulous Nag on the Lake for sending me this Doxie link at another great blog, Recovering Lazyholic. Stop by for more Wiener fun and a 12 step program for lazyheads.
Ken Bailey is one of my favorite dog artists. This new, cheeky original painting that every Dachshund owner can relate to is available on his website for $245. Love it!
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The Dessert, 1940
I imagine the Met's exhibition of Bonnard's drawings, paintings, and watercolors from 1923-1947 filled with Doxie works I have never seen before like The Dessert (above). It would be thrilling to see them in person, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen so I have been searching for new discoveries online.
I have yet to find a comprehensive review of the show, but Twitterer and recovering art director, David Ross, Tweets, "Late Bonnard at the Met equal to a walk on a sunny spring day. Quite a treat." Sounds lovely.
If anyone goes and finds more dogs let me know. I collected many of them here. Read more about Bonnard's late interiors at ArtDaily. Information at the Met's website. The exhibit runs until April 19, 2009.
P.S. Doesn't The Dessert remind you of this David Douglas Duncan photo of Picasso and Lump, the little brown Doxie at his master's elbow…
Yes, Lump the Dachshund is said to have been "the only animal Picasso took in his arms." But clearly Picasso had a great fondness for other breeds too, especially Afghans. As far as I can tell he owned three in his lifetime; Kabul, Kasbec, and Sauterelle. Here are some photos.
This last photo was taken two years after Picasso died. Kabul's expression breaks my heart. Duncan described him as spending "his last days gazing
at the villa as though remembering those early years when he was constantly
at the side of Picasso and Jacqueline." He died shortly after this photograph was taken.
I have yet to find any Afghans who made their way into Picasso's paintings, but many believe his 1967 sculpture in Chicago's Daley Plaza is actually Kabul's head.
…and a goat named Esmerelda, here tied to a statue of herself…
By David Douglas Duncan, 1957
I spent several hours on David Douglas Duncan's website. His photos are extraordinary and the online exhibition is excellent. Click here to visit it yourself.
The session was scheduled for November 21, the day after Darby’s 14th birthday. The timing was perfect. When Darby was a pup, his birthdays were exciting. We went on adventures at the Tree People preserve or hiked up Runyon Canyon with his friends. Now, I hate to even write this, each year passes with a sense of foreboding. Oh no, my puppy is 14…that’s…I won’t even do the math…in human years. I get depressed.
With the photo shoot scheduled, I couldn’t suppress the thought, “I am so glad I am doing this now…before it’s too late.” Morbid. I know. But I couldn’t help it.
But, when Grace showed up, something completely unexpected happened. First, Darby fell in love with her. Yes, she was plying him with treats, but there was something else too. She was so focused on him, not just her camera, but her energy, that they totally connected and really started to work together. And me, I got to step back and simply watch. And watching him frolic and smile and obey was like watching him when we went to puppy school together, but better.
Perhaps it’s what it feels like to attend your child’s recital. I was so proud of him and I was thrilled that someone else, Grace, got to really know Darby’s unique personality. Our dogs are shapeshifters. They are complex little beings we have intense, finely tuned relationships with when we are alone, and then, when someone comes over, they turn into pets. But this didn’t happen with Grace. Grace met Darby. She got to know him, one-on-one, and it was so fun to watch.
And that’s what surprised me, that as much as I LOVE these amazing photographs, the memory of that morning is just as special to me. Just as precious.
By the time it was over, Darby had reverted to complete puppyhood. In fact he started doing something I hadn’t seen him do in years. He humped Grace’s arm. It was completely inappropriate and completely hilarious. And it reminded me of Grandpa Joe getting out of bed and dancing when Charlie finds his ticket to the Wonka Factory. Darby was young and vital and madly in love. And it was as beautiful to behold as each of these photographs.
Thank you Grace, for that day and for these images that I will treasure forever.
See more of Darby’s photos here or schedule a session for your dog at Shine Pet Photos.
Zoe
Congratulations to Dog Art Today reader, Candy Adams, who won my Angels With Fur Photo Album Contest. Candy’s name was selected at random from everyone who submitted photos to my new online album. To be honest Candy might have won if it were an actual photography contest. I simply love this sweet close up of her pup, Zoe, whom she described as:
Candy told me she has an interest in learning more about photography, but claimed she just “got lucky” with this terrific Zoe photo. I told her that I don’t believe in luck when it comes to composition and having a good eye. I definitely think she should pursue her interest and I think winning this contest is a sign that she is headed in the right direction.
For her prize, Candy chose one of my all time most popular designs, The Striped Dachshund Puppy. It’s kind of hard to see on the mug…
Here is the full image available as a print at my Etsy store…
It is also available on t-shirts, baby clothes, pillows, greeting cards, tote bags and ornaments at my CafePress store.
Thank you, everyone who entered. I can’t tell you how fun it was to open my email and meet all these fabulous dogs, each one so precious and individual. I also enjoyed getting to know many of you who regularly read my blog who I didn’t know by name. Please feel free to share any comments and suggestions with me. I love hearing from you.
P.S. The contest is over, but you can always submit your dog to my Angels With Fur Album. All dogs are welcome.
Les Boutiques, boulevard des Batignolles by Pierre Bonnard, 1911
Carol Vogel of the New York Times reports last night was a bleak night at Christie's in both sales and prices. It seems the economic meltdown has hit the auction season. She writes:
"In a hushed salesroom at Christie’s on Wednesday night, works by a wide range of artists, from Manet, Cézanne and Renoir to Rothko and de Kooning, failed to sell, and prices for things that did find buyers often went for far less than what they would have a year ago. " (more)
One of the pieces that failed to find a home was Pierre Bonnard's Les Boutiques, boulevard des Batignolles which was estimated at $1,000,000 – $1,500,000. Given the anticipation for the Metropolitan's January 2009 exhibition, Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors, it may be surprising this "Japonized Nabi" vertical painting did not sell.
Christie's calls it "muted," but I think it is just too muddy for a million dollars. In these bargain basement times, I would wait for a Bonnard late interior (1923 – 1947) when he was painting in the dazzling light of southern France, not winter in Paris. And, of course, I would wait for his Dachshund to make an appearance!
The Bathroom by Pierre Bonnard, 1932
Speaking of the dazzling light of southern France, descendants of Bonnard's second cousin, the late Robert Saums of Hoepwell, New Jersey, recently introduced a new line of paint inspired by their famous French family member. It is available through their store Saums Interiors.
They also offer copies of his work and design advice to help you create a Bonnard interior in your home. Brilliant!
Related Links:
Pierre Bonnard's Dachshunds
